New Partnership with Chicks Climbing and Skiing

Silverton Avlanche School is delighted to announce our new Partnership with Chicks Climbing & Skiing. Working with Chicks allows us to expand our ski and splitboard and avalanche education to all-women’s backcountry courses. Since CCS launched their backcountry ski offerings two years ago they’ve shared turns with many of you on Red Mountain Pass and the Opus Hut area, heli-skied with Telluride Helitrax and ran their first avalanche course with AAI in Jackson. They’ve even gone international to Japan and La Grave, France and now they’re really going to get this party started by joining forces with us at Silverton Avalanche School. We hope you’ll join us for our first season together.

Chicks Climbing was founded in 1999 by Kim Reynolds to empower more women through women’s ice climbing programs. Her vision lead to the creation of Chicks with Picks, which offered the first ever women’s ice climbing programs in Ouray, Colorado.

Chicks Climbing & Skiing is now independently owned and operated by five mountain lovers and experienced guides: Kitty Calhoun, Dawn Glanc, Angela Hawse, Elaina Arenz, and Karen Bockel. They are the longest standing women’s climbing program in the history of climbing. Their vision is to empower women through mountain sports, develop community and foster environmental stewardship.

They do this through low ratio group instruction led by the most qualified female guides in the country. Chicks Guides will teach you skills and best practices for rock, ice and alpine climbing, as well as backcountry skiing. You will be leading the way in no time!

The Silverton Avalanche School is committed to helping educate women in avalanche education at a top level and working with Chicks Climbing and Skiing will enable us to do this.

“We are delighted about our new partnership with the Silverton Avalanche School to offer all-women’s avalanche education as well as backcountry skiing and riding clinics. As one of the longest standing, most reputable avalanche schools in the business, Silverton has played a lead role training avalanche professionals and recreationalists alike since 1962. Their female instructors are some of the best in the industry with broad ranging experience and credentials. Paired with our AMGA/IFMGA certified Chicks guides our all-women’s offerings will be unrivaled in the U.S. Chicks Climbing and Skiing, formally known as Chicks with Picks goes back to 1999 as one of the first all-women’s climbing programs in the country. Since then Chicks has expanded to offer rock, alpine and ski clinics that focus on empowering women to be more self-reliant, competent partners in the backcountry, be it on a rope or backcountry tour. We are thrilled to provide the opportunity for women to learn avalanche safety and backcountry skills together with the Silverton Avalanche School.” – Angela Hawse, Chicks Climbing and Skiing Co-Owner and AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide

Located in the heart of the San Juan Mountains at 9,318 feet in Silverton, Colorado there is no better classroom to learn about avalanches. The San Juan Mountains have some of the most accessible, active and well-known avalanche paths anywhere with a snowpack world-famous for it’s dynamic qualities. SAS courses are taught by nationally recognized members of the American Avalanche Association, AIARE and the Canadian Avalanche Association with instructors widely known for their expertise and passion for snow safety and backcountry fun.

Why choose Chicks and the Silverton Avalanche School?

Because they do women’s programs better than anyone else and partnering with the Silverton Avalanche School and our 55-year track record gives you the confidence to know you’re in the best hands, you’ll get top shelf world-class instruction and it’s definitely going to be fun.

It’s a match made on a mountaintop and we can’t wait to take your backcountry skills to the next level with our new partnership. Our female instructors are some of the most experienced, passionate avalanche educators in the country. Combined with their certified IFMGA / AMGA Ski Guides we have the most qualified women in the industry to make your backcountry experience unique, world-class and unforgettable. As the first and most successful all-women’s climbing program in the country with an 18-year track record, it’s only natural that they expand their mountain sport offerings to include backcountry skiing with a focus on safety and avalanche education.